KIDS CONNECTION TO PRESENT “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” Kids Connection will perform a musical drama Sunday, December 19 at 7:00 PM. There is no charge for the program. Dinner will be served at 6:00 PM at a cost of $5.00. The menu will include ham, au gratin potatoes, green beans or corn, cornbread, dessert and beverage. Tickets will be on sale starting December 5. See Erma Dreas or Cheryl Secunda.
ADVENT SERMONS
Dec. 5 Green Shoots Sprout New Life, Isaiah 11:1-10
Dec. 12 Be Patient, James 5:7-10
Dec. 19 Believe in Dreams, Matthew 1:18-25
Dec. 24 God Became What We Are, John 1:1-14
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Dec. 26 Into a Broken World, Into Broken Lives, Matthew 2:13-23
Jan. 2 Gather Up All, Ephesians 1:1-14
Monday, December 6, 2010
Advent
Advent devotions may be found online at
www.followingthestar.org
Global Missions Offering
Theme: God’s mission, your passion
What is the CBF Offering? It is an annual campaign to support Cooperative Baptist Fellowship mission efforts in North America and around the world.
What does the offering do? The offering provides ministry expenses and salaries for field personnel.
Why is the offering important? It is the PRIMARY way field personnel are funded.
What is our church goal? The Missions Committee has set a goal of $700. There will be special offering envelopes available and a poster adjacent to the bulletin board will chart our progress.
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
A portion of the bulletin board is being reserved for Christmas cards to the church family should you wish to save the postage expense and contribute those dollars to the Global Missions Offering.
www.followingthestar.org
Global Missions Offering
Theme: God’s mission, your passion
What is the CBF Offering? It is an annual campaign to support Cooperative Baptist Fellowship mission efforts in North America and around the world.
What does the offering do? The offering provides ministry expenses and salaries for field personnel.
Why is the offering important? It is the PRIMARY way field personnel are funded.
What is our church goal? The Missions Committee has set a goal of $700. There will be special offering envelopes available and a poster adjacent to the bulletin board will chart our progress.
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
A portion of the bulletin board is being reserved for Christmas cards to the church family should you wish to save the postage expense and contribute those dollars to the Global Missions Offering.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE OF
CAROLS AND CANDLES
December 24, 7:30 PM
Please bring Christmas cookies to share at our fellowship time following the service.
Note: There will be no Wednesday evening activities on December. 22.
NEED A GIFT IDEA?
1. Christmas CDs with selections performed by Armand Melnbardis and Dennis Bucher and/or Armand’s rock and jazz CDs make great holiday gifts. Cost: $15 with a special New Hope offer: Buy any three CDs, get one free.
2. Savor the Flavors of New Hope, our 2010 cookbook, is available at a cost of $10. See Wanda Buchanan.
3. 2011 scenic calendars with scripture verses and all occasion cards are being sold by the Youth Group as a fund raiser for their 2011 summer retreat. Cost: $6.00 each.
LADIES LUNCH & GIFT EXCHANGE
Tuesday, December 14, 11:45 AM
Vince Carter Restaurant, Ormond Beach
Notify Linda Manners by December 12 if you plan to attend.
Please bring a small gift ($6-$8) for the gift exchange.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Dr. Mulkey will not be in the office on December 24, December 27 and December 31, but he may be reached in case of an emergence at 386-717-5657. He will be preaching on December 26 and January 2.
In light of holiday schedules and travel plans for many of our members, the January issue of Connections will be distributed on the second Sunday of January.
CAROLS AND CANDLES
December 24, 7:30 PM
Please bring Christmas cookies to share at our fellowship time following the service.
Note: There will be no Wednesday evening activities on December. 22.
NEED A GIFT IDEA?
1. Christmas CDs with selections performed by Armand Melnbardis and Dennis Bucher and/or Armand’s rock and jazz CDs make great holiday gifts. Cost: $15 with a special New Hope offer: Buy any three CDs, get one free.
2. Savor the Flavors of New Hope, our 2010 cookbook, is available at a cost of $10. See Wanda Buchanan.
3. 2011 scenic calendars with scripture verses and all occasion cards are being sold by the Youth Group as a fund raiser for their 2011 summer retreat. Cost: $6.00 each.
LADIES LUNCH & GIFT EXCHANGE
Tuesday, December 14, 11:45 AM
Vince Carter Restaurant, Ormond Beach
Notify Linda Manners by December 12 if you plan to attend.
Please bring a small gift ($6-$8) for the gift exchange.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Dr. Mulkey will not be in the office on December 24, December 27 and December 31, but he may be reached in case of an emergence at 386-717-5657. He will be preaching on December 26 and January 2.
In light of holiday schedules and travel plans for many of our members, the January issue of Connections will be distributed on the second Sunday of January.
Music and Worship
Felix Mendelssohn, 1809-1847
Many of the great composers seem to have suffered more than their share of life’s misfortune and frustration. In sharp contrast, Felix Mendelssohn led, for the most part, a happy and successful life. Born into a wealthy and cultured family, his remarkable talents were encouraged from the start, and he brilliantly pursued an abundance of musical endeavors.
His grandfather, Moses Mendelssohn, had been an important Jewish philosopher, yet the composer’s father Abraham was somewhat uncertain in his beliefs. At first, he raised his children “without religion in any form,” though his brother-in-law was strongly influencing him toward Christianity. Once when he was a child, Mendelssohn ran home in tears from chorus practice. The chorus had been singing passages from Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion when another youth hisses mockingly, “The Jew boy raises his voice to Christ.” Seeing his children tormented because of their religious heritage was too much for Abraham; a desire for his children’s happiness rather than personal spiritual conviction finally persuaded him to have them baptized and raised in the Christian faith.
When he matured, Mendelssohn joined the Lutheran church because of his passionate love of the music of the Protestant J. S. Bach. He considered Bach’s music “the greatest Christian music in the world.” Mendelssohn excelled as a composer, a pianist, a conductor, and the founder of the Leipzig Conservatory of Music His talent won consistent acclaim, and his acquaintances included the finest musical geniuses of Europe: Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Paganini, Weber and Chopin, to name a few. His wife, Cecile, the daughter of a well-known clergyman of the French Reformed Church, was a pious believer and a woman of prayer.
For Mendelssohn, the Bible served as the cornerstone of daily life as well as the inspiration for much of his work. Mendelssohn’s letters reveal profound faith in God. Echoing the words of a psalm, he wrote, “Pray to God that he may create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us.” To his nephew, he wrote, “Nothing is attained without the fulfillment of one fervent wish – May God be with you! This prayer comprises consolation and strength; and also cheerfulness in days to come.”
Mendelssohn composed a great deal of sacred music, notably his celebrated oratorios, Elijah, and Saint Paul. His music is universal in its appeal and his compositions run the gamut from “Ave Maria” to texts of Martin Luther set to music. Mendelssohn’s life was cut short after he received the crushing news that his sister and close companion had suddenly died. He lost consciousness and fell, rupturing a blood vessel in his head. He never recovered, remaining very ill until his death a few months later at the age of 38.
Dennis Bucher
Many of the great composers seem to have suffered more than their share of life’s misfortune and frustration. In sharp contrast, Felix Mendelssohn led, for the most part, a happy and successful life. Born into a wealthy and cultured family, his remarkable talents were encouraged from the start, and he brilliantly pursued an abundance of musical endeavors.
His grandfather, Moses Mendelssohn, had been an important Jewish philosopher, yet the composer’s father Abraham was somewhat uncertain in his beliefs. At first, he raised his children “without religion in any form,” though his brother-in-law was strongly influencing him toward Christianity. Once when he was a child, Mendelssohn ran home in tears from chorus practice. The chorus had been singing passages from Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion when another youth hisses mockingly, “The Jew boy raises his voice to Christ.” Seeing his children tormented because of their religious heritage was too much for Abraham; a desire for his children’s happiness rather than personal spiritual conviction finally persuaded him to have them baptized and raised in the Christian faith.
When he matured, Mendelssohn joined the Lutheran church because of his passionate love of the music of the Protestant J. S. Bach. He considered Bach’s music “the greatest Christian music in the world.” Mendelssohn excelled as a composer, a pianist, a conductor, and the founder of the Leipzig Conservatory of Music His talent won consistent acclaim, and his acquaintances included the finest musical geniuses of Europe: Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Paganini, Weber and Chopin, to name a few. His wife, Cecile, the daughter of a well-known clergyman of the French Reformed Church, was a pious believer and a woman of prayer.
For Mendelssohn, the Bible served as the cornerstone of daily life as well as the inspiration for much of his work. Mendelssohn’s letters reveal profound faith in God. Echoing the words of a psalm, he wrote, “Pray to God that he may create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us.” To his nephew, he wrote, “Nothing is attained without the fulfillment of one fervent wish – May God be with you! This prayer comprises consolation and strength; and also cheerfulness in days to come.”
Mendelssohn composed a great deal of sacred music, notably his celebrated oratorios, Elijah, and Saint Paul. His music is universal in its appeal and his compositions run the gamut from “Ave Maria” to texts of Martin Luther set to music. Mendelssohn’s life was cut short after he received the crushing news that his sister and close companion had suddenly died. He lost consciousness and fell, rupturing a blood vessel in his head. He never recovered, remaining very ill until his death a few months later at the age of 38.
Dennis Bucher
MOVIE REVIEW
Editor’s Note: We welcome a new feature and a new reporter, Sandy Kleinschmidt.
Fireproof
Know anyone who is married and getting tired of all the mundane daily problems and arguments? Talk to anyone lately who is tempted to go outside their marriage or even end it in divorce? The movie "Fireproof" goes out on a limb to portray a believable modern marriage with all of its failures and disappointments. The film offers an incredibly inspiring challenge and hope for those who are in troubled marriages, as well as those who would like to avoid a failed marriage in the future.
The 2008 movie has been released on DVD and stars actor Kirk Cameron who starred in the Christian series "Left Behind". He plays a fireman who lives by the fireman's creed, "Never leave your partner behind", but at home is thinking of leaving his life partner after seven years of marriage. He and his wife argue about finances, housework and outside interests. His wife has become unresponsive and they file for divorce. Then his father gives him a challenge called "the love dare" which is a 40 day experiment. He asks his father, "How can I love someone who constantly rejects me?" His father replies, "That is the love that Christ shows to us" and he reluctantly agrees to try it.
You will find excitement, inspiration, laughter and tears in this film. It was released by Sherwood Pictures which is a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga. If you or anyone you care about would like to "fireproof" their marriage, this is a great film to consider as a resource.
Sandra Klienschmidt
Editor’s Note: We welcome a new feature and a new reporter, Sandy Kleinschmidt.
Fireproof
Know anyone who is married and getting tired of all the mundane daily problems and arguments? Talk to anyone lately who is tempted to go outside their marriage or even end it in divorce? The movie "Fireproof" goes out on a limb to portray a believable modern marriage with all of its failures and disappointments. The film offers an incredibly inspiring challenge and hope for those who are in troubled marriages, as well as those who would like to avoid a failed marriage in the future.
The 2008 movie has been released on DVD and stars actor Kirk Cameron who starred in the Christian series "Left Behind". He plays a fireman who lives by the fireman's creed, "Never leave your partner behind", but at home is thinking of leaving his life partner after seven years of marriage. He and his wife argue about finances, housework and outside interests. His wife has become unresponsive and they file for divorce. Then his father gives him a challenge called "the love dare" which is a 40 day experiment. He asks his father, "How can I love someone who constantly rejects me?" His father replies, "That is the love that Christ shows to us" and he reluctantly agrees to try it.
You will find excitement, inspiration, laughter and tears in this film. It was released by Sherwood Pictures which is a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga. If you or anyone you care about would like to "fireproof" their marriage, this is a great film to consider as a resource.
Sandra Klienschmidt
Missions
Shoebox Christmas Gifts On Their Way
Thank you New Hope for shoeboxes filled to the brim with gifts to make Christmas a little brighter for guys and girls in less fortunate countries. You exceeded what I had hoped for in the current economy.
Olivia McDougald
Halifax Urban Ministries
The need for canned goods and staple food items for financially stressed families is great and your generosity is helping to meet that need. We will continue to collect donations on the first Sunday of each month.
Countryside Lakes ALF
Our next visit to Countryside Lakes ALF will be Wednesday, December 15. Birthday celebrants are looking forward to your visit. We received a thank you note from resident Ethel Cohen in which she thanked us for our ministry and made a contribution to New Hope.
* * *
S.H.A.P.E.
Dr. Mulkey will lead a one session study designed to help one discover his/her gifts this afternoon at 5:00 PM.
A sandwich supper will be provided.
LADIES BIBLE STUDY
Ladies Bible Study will not meet in the month of December. The next session will be on January 18, 2011 at 7 pm in the sanctuary. We will be studying Chapter 5, “Personal Strength” in the book, Embracing Your Strengths. Dorothy Rollins will be our leader and Linda Manners will provide dessert. All ladies are welcome.
Jeanne Mathieson
BIBLE BUZZ
Well, of course, you know the Christmas story. Or do you?
1. Why did Mary go to Zachariah’s house after the angel Gabriel visited her?
2. Which gospel book gives Jesus’ family tree?
3. Why was the baby named Jesus?
4. Did the shepherds and the wise men arrive at the manger at the same time?
5. What exactly is “frankincense and myrrh?
Thank you New Hope for shoeboxes filled to the brim with gifts to make Christmas a little brighter for guys and girls in less fortunate countries. You exceeded what I had hoped for in the current economy.
Olivia McDougald
Halifax Urban Ministries
The need for canned goods and staple food items for financially stressed families is great and your generosity is helping to meet that need. We will continue to collect donations on the first Sunday of each month.
Countryside Lakes ALF
Our next visit to Countryside Lakes ALF will be Wednesday, December 15. Birthday celebrants are looking forward to your visit. We received a thank you note from resident Ethel Cohen in which she thanked us for our ministry and made a contribution to New Hope.
* * *
S.H.A.P.E.
Dr. Mulkey will lead a one session study designed to help one discover his/her gifts this afternoon at 5:00 PM.
A sandwich supper will be provided.
LADIES BIBLE STUDY
Ladies Bible Study will not meet in the month of December. The next session will be on January 18, 2011 at 7 pm in the sanctuary. We will be studying Chapter 5, “Personal Strength” in the book, Embracing Your Strengths. Dorothy Rollins will be our leader and Linda Manners will provide dessert. All ladies are welcome.
Jeanne Mathieson
BIBLE BUZZ
Well, of course, you know the Christmas story. Or do you?
1. Why did Mary go to Zachariah’s house after the angel Gabriel visited her?
2. Which gospel book gives Jesus’ family tree?
3. Why was the baby named Jesus?
4. Did the shepherds and the wise men arrive at the manger at the same time?
5. What exactly is “frankincense and myrrh?
BOOK EXCHANGE
While leisure time for reading during the holidays is scarce, you may enjoy glancing through 52 Simple Ways to Make Christmas Special. Brief inspirational reads are in The Heart of Christmas by six Christian authors including Max Lucado and David Jeremiah.
Editorial Correction: New on the bookshelf is Susan Boyle’s story, The Woman I was Born to Behe . We inadvertently listed “The Gift,” her new CD, in the November newsletter.
KIDS CONNECTIONS
Drama Rehearsal
Children who have speaking parts or movement parts will need to be at our extra practice on Friday, December 10 from 6-8:00 PM and again on Sunday, Dec. 12 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM.
Outreach Project
Kids Connection will be performing Christmas songs on Sunday, December 12 at 10:30 AM at the Port Orange Nursing and Rehab Center.
Children’s Church(Ages K – 3rd Grade)
Dec. 5 Carrie Sue Boyd
Dec. 12 Joan Wood & Jean Bachelor
Dec. 19 Jeanne Mathieson & Dorothy Rollins
Dec. 26 Erma Dreas
A special thanks to all of the Children’s Church Workers who were so faithful in leading Children’s Church during 2010.
Cheryl Secunda
KIDS KLUB(An Awana Ministry)
The children have been learning about Moses for several weeks now in their large group time, beginning with his birth until the time he was given the Ten Command- ments. I have found that kids and teens enjoy learning about Bible stories. I want to thank all the Awana Leaders who have been faithful in teaching this season. Thank you for your special talent, compassion and commitment.
Cheryl Secunda
While leisure time for reading during the holidays is scarce, you may enjoy glancing through 52 Simple Ways to Make Christmas Special. Brief inspirational reads are in The Heart of Christmas by six Christian authors including Max Lucado and David Jeremiah.
Editorial Correction: New on the bookshelf is Susan Boyle’s story, The Woman I was Born to Behe . We inadvertently listed “The Gift,” her new CD, in the November newsletter.
KIDS CONNECTIONS
Drama Rehearsal
Children who have speaking parts or movement parts will need to be at our extra practice on Friday, December 10 from 6-8:00 PM and again on Sunday, Dec. 12 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM.
Outreach Project
Kids Connection will be performing Christmas songs on Sunday, December 12 at 10:30 AM at the Port Orange Nursing and Rehab Center.
Children’s Church(Ages K – 3rd Grade)
Dec. 5 Carrie Sue Boyd
Dec. 12 Joan Wood & Jean Bachelor
Dec. 19 Jeanne Mathieson & Dorothy Rollins
Dec. 26 Erma Dreas
A special thanks to all of the Children’s Church Workers who were so faithful in leading Children’s Church during 2010.
Cheryl Secunda
KIDS KLUB(An Awana Ministry)
The children have been learning about Moses for several weeks now in their large group time, beginning with his birth until the time he was given the Ten Command- ments. I have found that kids and teens enjoy learning about Bible stories. I want to thank all the Awana Leaders who have been faithful in teaching this season. Thank you for your special talent, compassion and commitment.
Cheryl Secunda
Youth News
Winter Camping TripWe will be camping the weekend of December 4 at Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine. We will spend Sunday in St. Augustine as you receive this newsletter. Please pray for our safety.
Walk Through BethlehemNew Hope’s Youth Group will be attending “Walk through Bethlehem” at Delaney Baptist Church, in Orlando on Friday, December 17. Admission is free. We will leave the church at 4:30 PM and return at 10:00 PM. We will eat at a fast food restaurant for which they will need to bring food money.
THANK YOUSpecial thanks to all youth leaders who have helped with
the youth and to New Hope members for their financial support with fundraisers making it possible for the youth to attend youth retreats.
Cheryl Secunda
Walk Through BethlehemNew Hope’s Youth Group will be attending “Walk through Bethlehem” at Delaney Baptist Church, in Orlando on Friday, December 17. Admission is free. We will leave the church at 4:30 PM and return at 10:00 PM. We will eat at a fast food restaurant for which they will need to bring food money.
THANK YOUSpecial thanks to all youth leaders who have helped with
the youth and to New Hope members for their financial support with fundraisers making it possible for the youth to attend youth retreats.
Cheryl Secunda
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